UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  PUBLICATIONS 

COLLEGE  OF  AGRICULTURE 

AGRICULTURAL  EXPERIMENT  STATION 

BERKELEY,  CALIFORNIA 


THE  SELECTIVE  IMPROVEMENT 
OF  THE  LIMA  BEAN 


BY 

G.  W.  SHAW 


BULLETIN  No.  238 

Berkeley,  CaL,  May,  19]  3 


BERKELEY 

THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  PRESS 
1913 


Benjamin   Ide  Wheeler,   President  of  the  University. 

EXPERIMENT   STATION   STAFF 

T.  F.  Hunt,  D.  Agr.,  Director. 

E.   W.  Hilgard,   Ph.D.,    LL.D.,    Chemist    (Emeritus). 

E.  J.   WlCKSON,   M.A.,    Horticulturist. 

H.   J.   Webber,   Ph.D.,    Director   Citrus   Experiment   Station,    Riverside. 
H.  E.  Van  Norman,  B.S.,  Vice-Director  and  Dean  of  University  Farm. 
W.   A.    Setchell,   Ph.D.,    Botanist. 
*Leroy  Anderson,  Ph.D.,   Dairy  Industry. 
M.  E.  Jaffa,  M.S.,   Nutrition   Expert. 

R.  H.  Loughridge,  Ph.D.,   Soil  Chemist  and  Physicist    (Emeritus). 
C.   W.   Woodworth,   M.S..    Entomologist. 

*Ralph    E.     Smith,    B.S.,    Plant    Pathologist    and    Superintendent    of    Southern    California 
Pa'thological    Laboratory    and    Experiment    Station. 

F.  R.   Marshall,  B.S.A.,   Animal  Industry. 
J.    E.   Coit,    Ph.D.,    Citriculturist. 

J.  W.  Gilmore,  M.S. A.,  Agronomist. 
C.  F.  Shaw,  B.S.,  Soil  Technologist. 
J.  W.  Gregg,  B.S.,  Floriculturist. 

*G.    W.    Shaw,    M.A.,    Ph.D.,    Experimental    Agronomist    and    Agricultural    Technologist,    in 
charge   of    Cereal    Stations. 

B.  A.  Etcheverry,  B.S.,   Irrigation  Expert. 
F.  T.   Bioletti,   M.S.,   Viticulturist. 

W.    T.   Clarke,    B.    S.,    Assistant   Horticulturist    and    Superintendent   of    University    Extension 

in  Agriculture. 
John   S.   Burd,   B.S.,   Chemist,   in   charge  of  Fertilizer  Control. 

C.  B.   Lipman,   Ph.D.,    Soil  Chemist   and   Bacteriologist. 

George   E.   Colby,  M.S.,   Chemist    (Fruits,   Waters,   and  Insecticides),   in   charge  of   Chemical 

Laboratory. 
*H.  J.  Quayle,  M.S.,  Assistant  Entomologist. 
H.   M.   Hall,   Ph.D..    Assistant   Botanist. 
C.  M.  Haring,  D.V.M.,  Veterinarian  and  Bacteriologist. 
E.   B.   BABCOCK,  B.S.,  Agricultural  Education. 
W.  B.  Herms,  M.A.,  Assistant  Entomologist. 
W.  T.   Horne,  B.S.,   Assistant  Plant  Pathologist. 
L.   M.   Davis,   B.S.,   Assistant  Dairy   Industry. 
W.  W.  Bonns,  B.S.A.,  Assistant  Pomologist. 

A.  J.   Gaumnitz.   M.S.,   Assistant   Agronomist,   University  F'arm,   Davis. 
T.  F.  Hunt,  B.S.,  Assistant  Plant  Pathologist. 

E.  H.  Hagemann,  Assistant  in  Dairying,  Davis. 

J.   I.   Thompson,   B.S.,   Assistant  Animal   Industry,   Davis. 
J.   C.   Bridwell,  B.S.,   Assistant   Entomologist. 
L.    Bonnet,    I.A.,    Assistant   Viticulturist. 

F.  C.  H.   Flossfeder,   Assistant   in   Viticulture,    University  Farm,   Davis. 
M.    E.    Stover,    B.S.,    Assistant   in   Agricultural   Chemical   Laboratory. 
H.   S.  Baird,  B.S.,  Assistant  Dairy  Industry. 

Walter    H.    Dore,    B.S.,    Chemist   Fertilizer   Control. 

P.   L.   Hibbard,   B.S.,   Assistant  Fertilizer  Control   Laboratory. 

C.   H.   McCharles,   M.S.,   Assistant   Agricultural  Chemical   Laboratory. 

B.  A.  Madsox,   B.S.A.,    Assistant   Experimental  Agronomist. 

Walter  E.  Packard,  M.S.,  Field  Assistant  Imperial  Valley  Investigation,  El  Centre 
S.   S.  Rogers,  B.S.,   Assistant  Plant   Pathologist,   Plant  Disease  Laboratory,   Whittier. 

C.  O.  Smith,  M.  S.,  Assistant  Plant  Pathologist,  Plant  Disease  Laboratory,  Whittier. 

E.  H.  Smith,  M.S.,  Assistant  Plant  Pathologist. 

C.  L.  Roadhouse,  D.V.M.,   Assistant  in  Veterinary  Science. 

F.  M.    Hayes,   D.V.M.,    Assistant    Veterinarian. 

P.  S.  Burgess,  M.S.,  Assistant  Soil  Bacteriologist. 

W.  F.  Gericke,  B.S.,  Assistant  Soil  Chemist. 

J.   E.  Dougherty,   B.S.A.,   Assistant  Poultry  Husbandry. 

W.  H.  Volck,  Field  Assistant  in  Entomology,   Watsonville. 

E.   L.   Morris,   Field  Assistant   in   Entomology,    San  Jose. 

E.  E.   Thomas,   B.S.,   Assistant  Chemist,    Plant  Disease   Laboratory,   Whittier. 

G.  P.   Gray,  M.S.,   Chemist  in  Insecticides. 

H.  D.  Young,  B.S.,  Assistant  in  Agricultural  Chemistry,   Plant  Disease  Laboratory,  Whittier. 

A.  R.  Tylor,  B.S.,  Assistant  in  Plant  Pathology,  Plant  Disease  Laboratory,  Whittier. 

W.   V.   Cruess,   B.S.,   Assistant   in   Zymology. 

J.   F.  Mitchell,  D.V.M.,  Assistant  in  Veterinary  Laboratory. 

M.  R.  Miller,  B.S.,  Assistant  Chemist  in  Insecticides. 

F.  H.  Wilson,  B.S.,  Assistant  in  Soil  Chemistry. 
W.  M.  Mertz,  Assistant  in  Pomology,  Riverside. 

Axxa  M.  Lute,  A.B.,  Scientific  Assistant,  U.  S.  Dept.  of  Agriculture. 

D.  L.  Bunnell,  Secretary  to  Director. 

*  Absent  on  leave. 


THE   SELECTIVE   IMPROVEMENT   OF   THE 
LIMA  BEAN* 


BY 
G.    W.    SHAW 


SUMMARY 

1.  During  four  years  the  increase  in  yield  of  selected  strains  over 
common  stock  was  about  20  per  cent. 

2.  U.  C.  Stock  No.  1  (Daily  type)  has  yielded  over  25  per  cent 
higher  than  common  stock. 

3.  The  average  increase  in  yield  of  six  select  strains  of  three  differ- 
ent types  was  24.3  per  cent  in  1911  and  14.4  per  cent  in  1912. 

4.  Among  fifty  select  strains  developed  from  individual  plants  and 
tested  with  check  areas  of  common  stock  in  1912,  sixteen  gave  20  per 
cent  or  higher  increase  in  yield,  eleven  gave  30  per  cent  or  higher 
increase,  seven  gave  40  per  cent  or  higher  increase,  and  three  gave  50 
per  cent  or  higher,  one  of  the  three  giving  121.8,  and  the  other  160 
per  cent  increase.  The  possibility  of  developing  high  yielding  strains 
from  such  selections  and  the  value  of  testing  the  offspring  of  each 
plant  separately  is  obvious. 

5.  Farmers  can  increase  their  yield  and  improve  the  quality  of  the 
crop  simply  by  seed  selection  and  better  by  plant  selection  in  the  field, 
growing  the  seed  from  selected  plants  in  a  special  plat  and  repeating 
this  plant  selection  year  after  year. 

6.  The  Lima  bean  as  grown  in  California,  requires  improvement 
for  earliness,  hardiness,  alkali  resistance,  quality  and  yield.  There  is 
definite  possibility  of  improvement  in  all  these  respects,  especially  if 
the  individual  plant  is  made  the  unit  of  selection  and  the  progeny  of 
each  plant  is  tested  separately. 


*  The  writer  desires  to  express  the  thanks  of  the  Station,  as  well  as  his  per- 
sonal appreciation  of  the  hearty  cooperation  rendered  by  the  Lima  Bean 
Grower's  Association,  who  have  assisted  financially  and  otherwise  in  the  prose- 
cution of  this  work;  and  also  to  acknowledge  the  many  courtesies  and  assistance 
extended  by  Messrs.  F.  A.  Snyder  and  W.  E.  Goodyear,  of  Somis,  and  by  the 
Patterson  Ranch  Co.,  and  Donlan  Brothers  of  Oxnard,  who  have  furnished  land, 
labor  and  teams  as  needed  for  planting,  cultivating  and  harvesting  the  several 
crops.  Credit  should  also  be  given  to  Messrs.  V.  C.  Bryant,  B.  A.  Madson,  and 
J.  A.  Denny,  who  in  various  ways,  have  assisted  in  conducting  the  details  of 
the  field  operations. 

[581] 


5.82  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

During  the  past  few  years  there  has  been  a  great  awakening  upon 
the  subject  of  the  selective  improvement  of  farm  crops,  and  marked 
results  have  been  obtained  by  the  selection  and  breeding  of  better 
types  of  corn,  tobacco,  cotton,  and  cereal  crops.  The  improvement  of 
general  farm  crops  has  not  advanced  as  far  in  this  direction  as  in 
the  case  of  horticultural  crops,  because  the  necessity  of  such  improve- 
ment has  not  been  so  apparent,  but  with  the  increasing  price  of  land 
and  with  greater  attention  being  given  to  specialized  and  intensive 
farming,  such  improvement  of  crops  is  now  becoming  of  as  great  inter- 
est in  the  case  of  fruit,  flowers,  and  live  stock. 

For  several  years  the  Agricultural  Experiment  Station  of  the 
University  has  conducted  experiments  in  developing  more  uniform  and 
higher  yielding  types  of  lima  beans  than  those  now  used  by  groAvers 
of  this  product.  The  results  of  these  experiments  have  been  most 
encouraging.  In  brief  it  may  be  said  that  the  increased  yields  obtained 
from  tests  made  with  the  selected  strains  have  been  as  follows : 

1909 16.95  per  cent 

1910 23.92  per  cent 

1911 24.30  per  cent 

1912 14.40  per  cent 

Average 19.89  per  cent 

THE  PLAN  OF  IMPROVEMENT  AS  UNDERTAKEN 

The  experiments  here  recorded  Avere  begun  by  the  Avriter  in  1908 
in  cooperation  with  a  number  of  Ventura  county  farmers,  and  although 
at  the  outset  it  Avas  intended  to  include  selections  for  earliness  as  A\reil 
as  yield,  on  account  of  the  impossibility  of  having  a  qualified  man 
on  the  ground  during  the  entire  ripening  period  the  experiments  were 
finally  reduced  to  the  standpoint  of  yield  only. 

In  the  fall  of  1908  about  10,000  indiATidual  plants  which  shoAved 
from  a  cursory  examination,  desirable  characteristics  Avere  staked  in 
the  field.  At  the  time  of  the  first  selection  in  July,  earliness  of  bloom- 
ing stood  almost  alone  in  influencing  the  marking  of  plants,  except  that 
some  attention  was  given  to  size  and  vigor  of  vine  AAThere  this  did  not 
appear  to  be  due  to  a  difference  in  growing  space,  and  hence,  in 
amount  of  plant  food  available.  Vigorous  and  thrifty  plants,  which 
appeared  to  be  so  because  of  inherent  character,  Avere  selected,  and  in 
no  case  were  small,  stunted  plants  chosen.  The  plants  were  pulled,  care 
being  taken  to  separate  the  vines  from  those  of  surrounding  plants, 
and  each  Avas  inspected  quickly  after  turning  it  over,  so  that  the  pods 


Bulletin  238]  THe  LIMA  BEAN  583 

were  easily  seen.  If  the  pods  were  found  to  be  immature,  or  if  the 
total  number  of  pods  was  small,  the  plant  was  dropped,  except  that 
some  plants  with  a  small  number  of  pods  were  carried  along  if  the 
plant  was  very  mature,  and  some  very  high  yielding  plants  were  kept, 
though  immature.  In  this  way,  about  three  thousand  plants  were 
selected  out  of  the  original  ten  thousand. 

After  a  short  period  of  drying,  the  pods  were  picked  from  each 
plant  and  placed  in  a  paper  bag.  The  bags  were  numbered  con- 
secutively, corresponding  to  cards  on  which  data  regarding  the  num- 
ber of  dry  pods,  the  number  of  pods  to  be  shelled,  and  number  of  pods 
too  immature  to  shell,  and  length  of  the  vine,  were  recorded.  Two 
numbers  were  then  arbitrarily  chosen  for  the  plants  from  each  field, 
one  representing  number  of  dry  pods,  the  other  representing  total  num- 
ber of  pods,  and  those  plants  which  did  not  exceed  either  of  these 
numbers  were  discarded.  About  fifteen  hundred  of  the  more  immature 
and  light  yielding  plants  were  discarded  in  this  way.  The  pods  from 
all  the  remaining  plants  were  shelled,  keeping  the  lot  from  each  plant 
separate  from  all  the  others.  Finally,  all  but  about  six  hundred  from 
the  original  ten  thousand  wer  discarded  before  planting  in  the  spring 
of  1909.  The  seed  from  these  six  hundred  plants  were  grown  in  rows 
as. foundation  stock  in  1909,  the  seed  from  each  plant  being  planted 
separately,  so  that  the  yield,  and  other  desirable  characters  of  their 
product,  might  be  determined. 

DO  HIGH-YIELDING  PLANTS  PRODUCE   HIGH-YIELDING  OFFSPRING? 

The  fact  that  certain  selected  plants  produced  yields  is  no  evidence 
that  they  will  transmit  this  characteristic  to  their  progeny.  This  can 
only  be  told  by  field  trials  conducted  in  such  a  manner  as  to  enable 
the  performance  record  of  these  plants  to  be  studied  over  a  series  of 
years.  Some  plants  may  themselves  be  productive,  but  lack  projective 
efficiency  in  the  desired  direction.  This  prepotency  of  the  parent  plant 
must  first  be  determined  before  one  can  be  assured  that  the  plant  is 
a  desirable  one  to  increase.  Prepotency  in  a  desired  direction  is  just 
as  important  in  plants  as  in  animals. 

The  projective  efficiency  of  the  plants  from  the  foundation  stock 
was  determined  by  means  of  the  plant-to-row  method,  in  which  trials 
one  row  is  planted  from  the  beans  of  each  of  the  selected  plants,  an 
accurate  record  of  the  yield  of  each  of  the  rows,  being  kept.  Such 
trials  have  been  made  each  year  since  1908,  both  at  Somis  and  at 
Oxnard.  In  the  seasons  of  1911  and  1912  the  most  promising  strains 
were  increased  for  field  plantings.    Two  of  the  strains  were  seeded  on 


584  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

the  ranch  of  Mr.  F.  A.  Snyder  at  Somis,  in  the  ordinary  manner, 
against  check  areas  of  common  stock  for  comparison.  The  results  were 
as  f  oIIoavs  : 

Yield  per  acre  ;  Pounds 

selection  common  stock 

U.  C.  Stock  No.  1   (Daily  type)   1851.5  1476.5 

U.  C.  Stock  No.  2   (Lewis  type)  1598.0  1497.9 

Increase  of  selected  over  common  seed  375.0  101.0 

Per  cent  increase  25.4  6.7 

From  the  planting  of  19 ll1  fifty  were  deemed  worthy  of  further 
trial  in  1912,  seventeen  of  which  were  grown  at  Somis  the  preceding 
season.  These  fifty  strains  were  planted  on  plots  of  approximately 
one-twentieth  of  an  acre,  in  competition  test,  on  the  Patterson  ranch 
at  Oxnard  in  1912.    The  results  of  this  test  are  recorded  below : 

TABLE  SHOWING  PEKFOKMANCE  RECORD  OF  SELECTED  STRAINS  OF 
LIMA  BEANS  IN  PLATS  AT  OXNARD,  1912 

Plat   Plaxttxgs 
1912    Yields   in  pounds 

Row  No.  Gain  or 

1911                                                     Check  yield  loss*  in 

Plat   No.            Parent   No.  Yield  per  acre          per  acre  yield^  pounds        Percent 

1912                      1912                        pounds               corrected  per  acre  gain 

1  2  1712  2250  538 

2  3  2446  2250  196        8.7 
CI  L      Check  2250  2250 

3  6  2260  2071  189        9.1 

4  8  1620  1892  270 

5  9  1872  1713  159        9.2 

6  10  1870  1534  336  21.2 
CII  L      Check  1354  1354 

7  11  1740  1418  322  22.7 

8  15  3860  1481  2379  160.0 

9  16  3420  1544  1876  121.8 

10  17         2420       1607       813       50.8 
CIII  L      Check       1670  1670 

20  1900  1786  114  6.4 

12  22  1546  1902  356 

13  27  1944  2018  74 

14  29  2226  2134  92  4.3 
CIV  L     Check  2250  2250 

15  30  2700  2249  451  20.1 

16  32  2610  2248  362  16.1 

17  35  2902  2247  655  29.2 

18  40  2460  2246  214  9.5 

i  For  results  of  previous  yens  see  Bull.  224,  Agr.  Exp.  Station,  Berkeley,  Cal. 
*  Loss  indicated  by  italics. 


Bulletin  238] 


THE   LIMA    BEAN 


585 


Plat 

Plantings 

». 

Row  No. 

1911 

Parent  No. 

1912 

1912  Yields 

A 

in  pounds 

Gain  or 

loss*  in 

yield,  pounds 

per  acre 

Plat  Nc 
1912 

f 

Yield  per  acre 
pounds 

Check  yield 
per  acre 
corrected 

Per  cent 
gain 

cv 

L 

Check 

2244 

2244 

19 

41 

2442 

2134 

308 

14.4 

20 

42 

2042 

2027 

15 

0.7 

21 

45 

2522 

1920 

602 

31.4 

22 

49 

2666 

1813 

853 

47.1 

CVI 

L 

Check 

1706 

1706 

23 

50 

2350 

1769 

581 

33.0 

24 

53 

2010 

1832 

178 

9.7 

25 

55 

2754 

1895 

859 

45.4 

26 

61 

2714 

1958 

756 

38.7 

CVII 

L 

Check 

2022 

2022 

27 

62 

2222 

2002 

220 

11.0 

28 

66 

2464 

1984 

480 

24.2 

29 

67 

2068 

1966 

102 

5.2 

30 

70 

1588 

1948 

360 

CVIII 

L 

Check 

1930 

1930 

31 

72 

2810 

1967 

843 

43.0 

32 

73 

2080 

2004 

76 

3.8 

33 

74 

2760 

2041 

719 

35.2 

34 

39 

2222 

2078 

144 

7.2 

CTX 

Kos 

Check 

2114 

2114 

35 

41 

2364 

2203 

161 

7.3 

36 

44 

2244 

2292 

48 

37 

17 

2710 

2381 

329 

13.7 

38 

19 

3654 

2470 

1184 

47.9 

CX 

D 

Check 

2560 

2560 

39 

20 

2320 

2500 

180 

40 

22 

2460 

2440 

20 

0.8 

41 

25 

1720 

2380 

660 

42 

o 

1980 

2320 

340 

CXI 

D 

Check 

2260 

2260 

43 

4 

2260 

2192 

68 

3.1 

44 

8 

2188 

2124 

64 

3.0 

45 

9 

2236 

2056 

180 

9.0 

46 

14 

2000 

1988 

12 

0.6 

CXII 

D 

Check 

1920 

1920 

47 

26 

1820 

1854 

34 

48 

28 

1520 

1788 

268 

CXIII  Kos 

Check 

1720 

1720 

49 

31 

1960 

1720 

240 

13.9 

50 

33 

1768 

1720 

48 

2.7 

Average  yield  50  new  sorts 2288.5  lbs.  per  acre 

Average  yield  checks  2000      lbs.  per  acre 

Actual  average  increase  288.5  lbs.  per  acre 

Per  cent  average  increase 14.4  lbs.  per  acre 


*  Loss  indicated  by  italics. 


586  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

Note  1. — In  the  above  and  preceding  tables  the  column  headed  "corrected 
check  yield"  needs  some  explanation.  The  comparison  of  two  rows  or  plats 
grown  side  by  side  may  not  be  a  fair  estimate  upon  which  to  base  conclusions 
since  the  land  frequently  changes  within  short  distance's.  It  is  desirable  to 
determine  as  nearly  as  possible  what  the  check  seed  would  have  yielded  if  sown 
on  the  same  row  or  plat  as  the  plant  being  checked.  Consequently,  a  correction 
is  introduced  in  aiming  to  allow  for  such  soil  differences.  The  amount  to  add 
or  subtract  as  the  case  may  be,  to  the  yield  of  the  check  in  each  case,  is  deter- 
mined by  finding  the  difference  between  the  yield  from  the  selected  plant  and 
the  check,  and  divide  this  number  by  the  number  of  rows  between  the  checks. 
In  these  trials  every  fifth  row  was  a  check  row  seeded  with  common  stock  seed. 
Now  if  as  in  Plat  No  3,  1912,  check  plat  I  yielded  2250  pounds  per  acre,  and 
the  next  check  CII  gave  1354  lbs.  per  acre,  it  is  probable  that  the  land  was 
poorer  as  we  proceed  from  CI  towards  CII.  The  difference  between  the  two 
check  plats  is  896  pounds.  In  every  five  plats  there  is  one  check  and  one-fifth 
of  896  lbs.  is  179  lbs.  Now  if  we  subtract  179  lbs.  from  the  yield  of  plat  CI 
we  get  the  corrected  yield  for  plat  3  which  is  2071  lbs.  Subtracting  179  lbs. 
from  this  gives  1892  lbs.  the  corrected  check  for  plat  4  etc.  If  there  is  an 
increase  between  the  two  check  plats,  the  correction  is  obtained  in  a  similar 
manner  by  addition.  It  is  evident  that  between  any  two  check  plats  the  correc- 
tion will  usually  be  a  different  number. 

Note  2. —  (The  probable  high  value  of  a  strain  of  seed  that  might  be  devel- 
oped from  a  single  plant  whose  progeny  produces  high  relative  yield  should  not 
be  overlooked.  In  the  above  table  there  are  five  plats  whose  yields  are  respec- 
tively 47.1,  47.9,  50.8,  121.8  and  160  per  cent  higher  than  the  corrected  check 
yield  of  common  stock  seed.  The  plants  in  each  plat  were  the  offspring  of  a 
single  ancestor,  assuming  that  lima  bean  flowers  are  self-fertile  like  the  flowers 
of  other  beans.  Thus  each  plat  is  a  "pure  line"  and  by  saving  the  seed  of  each 
plat  separately  each  pure  line  is  preserved  as  a  distinct  strain  until  there  is 
enough  seed  to  test  it  under  field  conditions.  Theoretically  further  selection 
within  the  pure  line  is  useless,  so  that  if  the  strains  tested  fail  to  produce  satis- 
factorily in  average  years  under  average  conditions,  it  would  be  necessary  to 
repeat  the  selection  of  individual  plants  in  the  field  and  subsequent  testing  of 
the  same.  The  importance  of  testing  the  progeny  of  each  selected  plant  separ- 
ately cannot  be  over-emphasized.  However,  the  writer  does  not  wish  to  assert 
at  this  time,  that  selection  within  the  pure  line  is  absolutely  without  effect. — 
Ed.) 


Trials  of  six  other  strains,  also  grown  at  Somis  in  1911,  were  made 
on  the  Donlon  ranch  at  Oxnard  in  1912.  These  strains  were  planted 
in  one-acre  plats.    The  results  are  given  in  the  following  table : 


Bulletin  238]  THE  LIMA  BEAN  537 

TABLE  SHOWING  PERFORMANCE  RECORD  OF  SELECTED  STRAINS  OF 
LIMA  BEANS,  SOMIS  1911  AND  OXNARD  1912 


a 
Lewis 

Pounds  per  plat 
One  twentv-fifth 

n * , 

0                     +-> 
.«                    0 

a>                 £  g 

97.0         85.5 

Pounds 

per  acre 

A 

Pounds 
increase 

287.5 

Pounds  per  acre 
Acre  plats 

A 

Pounds 
increase 

1  = 
13 

a 
2425.0 

O 

0  0 
2147.5 

r 

c 

VI 

3055.5 

0 

03 

2133 

822.5 

12 

Lewis 

105.0 

80.6 

2637.5 

2015.0 

622.0 

2318.0 

2604 

286.0 

9 

Daily 

840.0 

75.8 

2100.0 

1895.0 

205.0 

3134.0 

2143 

1101.0 

8 

Daily 

80.5 

72.5 

2012.5 

1812.5 

200.0 

2964.0 

2784 

180.0 

10 

Daily 

90.0 

77.0 

2250.0 

1925.0 

225.0 

3140.0 

2744 

356.0 

King  of  the 

28 

Garden 

112.0 

80.5 

2800.0 

2012.5 

787.5 

2960.0 

2387 

573.0 

Average  yield, 

6  new 

sorts. 

2370.8 

1966.2 

464.4 

2928.6 

2471 

497.6 

Averacrp    inrrpasp 

464.4 

467.6 

Per 

cent  increase 

24.3 

14.4 

Present  Method  of  Seed  Selection. — Seed  selection  is,  at  present, 
practiced  to  some  extent,  but  no  such  method  as  will  do  much  toward 
maintaining  a  definite,  uniform  type  is  in  use.  The  method  used  is 
that  of  hand  picking  for  seed  purposes,  and  amounts  only  to  a  good 
recleaning  with  elimination  of  the  "poppers,"  a  well  denned  and 
undesirable  bean  of  the  small,  flat  class  of  limas. 

The  practice  of  hand  picking  is  good  just  so  far  as  it  affects  the 
quality  of  the  seed.  By  hand  picking  a  very  large  portion  of  the 
"poppers"  are  removed,  and  any  seed  of  the  large,  flat  class  of  limas 
which  may  be  very  small  because  unripe  at  harvest,  and  hence  likely 
to  make  weak  growth  if  planted,  will  also  be  removed,  together  with  all 
decayed  or  moldy  beans.  This  insures,  as  far  as  strong  seed  can,  a 
good  germination  and  an  even  stand  in  the  field  the  following  season 
with  a  limited  number  of  "poppers."  It  is  a  practice  which  is  con- 
ducive to  higher  yields  per  acre  from  the  seed  used,  but  makes  no 
pretension  of  permanently  improving  the  seed. 

A  Better  Method  of  Selection. — A  better  method  of  seed  selection 
than  the  one  now  commonly  practiced  would  be  in  addition  to  that 
outlined  above,  the  selection  of  individual  plants  in  the  field.  This 
can  be  done  at  small  cost,  just  before  harvest  of  the  general  crop.  The 
old  method  of  harvesting,  that  of  pulling  the  plants,  will  have  to  be 
used,  and,  furthermore,  the  plants  must  be  carried  out  of  the  field  to 
be  piled,  in  order  that  the  selections  shall  not  be  in  the  way  of  the 
cutters  at  the  harvest  of  the  main  crop.    However,  by  taking  the  beans 


588  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

required  for  seed  from  near  the  sides  of  the  field,  one  will  avoid  carry- 
ing the  plants  long  distances.  Before  threshing,  the  machine  should 
be  cleaned  of  any  morning-glory  or  other  weed  seed  which  it  might 
have,  thus  preventing,  in  large  measure,  the  spreading  of  these  pests 
from  infected  to  uninfected  fields. 

This  selection  in  the  field  would  insure  freedom  of  the  seed  from 
admixture  of  "poppers,"  while  hand  picking  would  add  its  benefit 
by  eliminating  any  small  or  moldy  seed.  Uniformity  of  plant  and  of 
seed  in  all  characters  can  also  be  obtained,  giving  a  product  such  as 
the  best  markets  demand,  and  for  which  the  highest  prices  are  paid. 

The  grower  himself  can  do  much  more  than  he  is  now  doing  toward 
improving  his  yield  by  seed  selection.  A  practical  method  of  seed 
improvement,  which  should  be  followed  by  every  bean  grower  in 
California,  is  the  maintenance  of  a  seed  plat.  The  method  is 
simple  and  easily  applied.  First,  select  from  the  general  field, 
at  the  time  of  crop  maturity,  a  large  number  of  plants  that 
are  manifestly  heavily  laden  with  ripe  pods,  choosing,  so  far  as 
possible,  those  plants  bearing  a  high  average  of  beans  to  the  pod. 
These  plants  should  not  be  taken  from  spots  where  the  stand  is  poor, 
nor  from  outside  rows,  nor  from  parts  of  the  land  Avhich  are  unusually 
fertile,  but  should  rather  represent  those  grown  upon  the  general  soil 
condition.  These  selected  plants  should  be  removed  from  the  field  and 
threshed  separately  from  the  general  crop.  The  seed,  so  selected, 
should  be  used  upon  a  special  seed  plat  the  succeeding  season,  and 
the  seed  from  this  seed  plat  used  in  the  second  season  for  the  general 
seeding.  This  selection  could  be  carried  still  further  by  choosing  the 
very  best  plants  from  the  seed  plat  to  be  increased  in  the  second  season 
for  subsequent  use  upon  the  seed  plat,  and  thus  introduce  a  little  more 
vigorous  selection.  In  order  to  perpetuate  the  good  results,  the  grower 
should  practice  such  selection  every  year.  (See  note  2,  p  0).  More 
elaborate  plans  of  selection  could  be  worked  out,  but  the  general 
grower  usually  has  not  the  time  at  his  disposal  to  undertake  more 
elaborate  schemes.  The  above  plan,  however,  is  so  simple  that  there 
is  no  apparent  reason  why  it  should  not  be  quite  universally  applied 
to  this  as  well  as  other  crops  with  much  advantage  to  the  grower  and 
the  community. 

DESIRABLE  IMPROVEMENT 

Earliness. — It  is  the  general  practice  to  cut  many  fields  before  the 
plants  are  fully  matured  and  before  the  beans  have  reached  their  full 
size.  This  indicates  the  need  of  an  earlier-maturing  bean,  which  will 
lessen  the  danger  of  loss  from  early  fall  rains.  Such  early  rains 
always  mean  serious  loss  and  inconvenience  to  the  grower. 


Bulletin  238]  THE  LIMA  BEAN  589 

Hardiness. — There  is  often  a  marked  lowering  of  the  yield,  the 
amount  of  which  can  only  be  conjectured,  due  to  stunting  of  plants 
by  cold  east  winds  in  May.  These  winds  sometimes  blast  certain  fields 
badly.  Very  strong  east  winds  in  the  fall  hasten  the  drying  of  the 
beans  that  are  cut,  but  have  been  known  to  sweep  the  whole  crop 
from  the  field.  An  earlier  bean  would  escape  the  cold  winds  in  May, 
also  the  strong  winds  and  the  rain  of  September. 

However,  there  are  certain  plants  which,  although  apparently 
exposed  to  exactly  the  same  conditions  as  their  fellows,  are  not  injured 
so  much,  or  even  not  at  all.  By  taking  seed  from  these  seemingly 
resistant  individuals,  we  should  expect  to  produce,  after  several  gen- 
erations, a  strain  capable  of  enduring  and  growing  under  colder  atmos- 
pheric conditions  than  the  original  or  pareut  type.  (See  note  2,  p.  586.) 
Moreover,  lengthening  the  season  of  growth  at  its  beginning  might 
allow  of  earlier  ripening  and  harvest — a  distinct  advantage. 

Alkali  Resistance. — Selecting  in  like  manner  those  plants  which 
appear  resistant  to  alkali  might  give  a  strain  better  suited  to  alkali 
soils  than  any  varieties  now  grown.  Such  a  strain  would  cause  an 
increase  in  the  acreage  of  limas  in  Ventura  County. 

Quality. — Another  desirable  improvement  could  be  made  in  quality 
of  shelled-beans.  This  is,  at  present,  especially  desirable  to  the  buyers, 
but  would  result  also  in  profit  to  the  growers.  By  quality  is  meant, 
not  beans  with  a  better  flavor  or  more  easily  cooked,  but  beans  which 
are  uniform  in  size,  shape,  color  and  markings.  Certain  markets  will 
not  take  the  average  quality  of  the  product,  but  require  the  finest  look- 
ing and  most  uniform  lots  that  can  be  obtained.  This  necessitates 
grading  of  the  beans.  The  culls  go  to  the  less  discriminating  markets 
mixed  with  other  ungraded  lots,  and  are  sold  at  a  smaller  price  than 
choice  beans.  Although,  at  present,  a  flat  rate  is  paid  the  growers, 
the  buyers  and  shippers  grading  the  beans  and  shipping  according  to 
market  demands,  this  flat  rate  might  be  increased  or  a  sliding  scale 
established  to  the  benefit  of  the  enterprising  growers  if  a  uniform 
type  of  bean  could  be  furnished.  This  would  not  be  possible  with  the 
present  late  maturity,  as  the  small,  immature  bean  would  always  have 
to  be  graded  out,  but  might  be  possible  with  the  establishment  of  an 
early  maturing  strain.  In  any  easej  the  odd  and  angular-shaped  beans 
should  be  eliminated,  and  this  can  doubtless  be  done  by  paying  more 
attention  to  seed  selection,  rejecting  seed  from  those  plants  showing  a 
tendency  to  angularity. 

Yield. — Another  very  desirable  improvement  is  that  of  yield.  Grant 
all  other  improvements,  then,  without  high  yield  the  grower  does  not 
want  the  plant.     And  the  grower's  position  is  indisputable.     High, 


590  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

yield  is  of  first  importance.  In  observing  the  plants  in  the  field,  vast 
differences  can  be  seen  in  the  yield  of  individuals.  However,  it  should 
be  observed  that  the  heaviest  yielding  plants  are  usually  late  maturing, 
and  that  the  early  maturing  plants  are  light  yielders, — hence  one  can- 
not bear  too  heavily  on  the  matter  of  earliness  without,  in  a  measure 
at  least,  reducing  the  yield.  However  with  plants  of  a  less  vining 
tendency  somewhat  thicker  planting  can  be  practiced,  and  this 
deficiency  somewhat  offset  by  the  larger  number  of  producing  plants. 


STATION   PUBLICATIONS  AVAILABLE    FOR   DISTRIBUTION 
REPORTS 

1897.      Resistant  Vines,   their   Selection,   Adaptation,    and   Grafting.      Appendix  to  Viticultural 
Report  for   1896. 

1902.  Report  of  the  Agricultural  Experiment  Station  for  1898-1901. 

1903.  Report  of  the  Agricultural  Experiment  Station  for  1901-03. 

1904.  Twenty-second    Report    of    the    Agricultural    Experiment    Station    for    1903-04. 

BULLETINS 


No.  128.  Nature,  Value,  and  Utilization  of 
Alkali  Lands,  and  Tolerance 
of  Alkali.  (Revised  and  Re- 
printed,   1905.) 

133.  Tolerance  of  Alkali  by  Various 
Cultures. 

147.  Culture  Work  of  the  Sub-sta- 
tions. 

164.  Poultry  Feeding  and  Proprie- 
tary Foods. 

167.  Manufacture    of    Dry    Wines    in 

Hot   Countries. 

168.  Observations      on      Some      Vine 

Diseases  in  Sonoma  County. 

169.  Tolerance  of  the  Sugar  Beet  for 

Alkali. 

170.  Studies   in   Grasshopper  Control. 

171.  Commercial     Fertilizers.        (June 

30,    1905.) 
174.      A  New  Wine-cooling  Machine. 

177.  A    New   Method   of    Making   Dry 

Red   Wine. 

178.  Mosquito    Control. 

179.  Commercial    Fertilizers.       (June, 

1906.) 

181.  The   Selection   of   Seed- Wheat. 

182.  Analyses    of    Paris    Green     and 

Lead  Arsenate.  Proposed  In- 
secticide   Law. 

183.  The    California    Tussock-moth. 

184.  Report  of  the   Plant   Pathologist 

to   July   1,    1906. 

185.  Report    of    Progress    in     Cereal 

Investigations. 

186.  The   Oidium   of  the  Vine. 

187.  Commercial    Fertilizers.       (Janu- 

ary,   1907.) 

188.  Lining    of    Ditches    and    Reser- 

voirs to  Prevent  Seepage 
Losses. 

189.  Commercial    Fertilizers.       (June. 

1907.) 
192.      Insects  Injurious  to  the  Vine  in 
California. 

194.  Commercial     Fertilizers.        (Dec, 

1907.) 

195.  The      California      Grape      Root- 

worm. 

197.  Grape     Culture     in     California; 

Improved  Methods  of  Wine- 
making;  Yeast  from  California 
Grapes. 

198.  The    Grape    Leaf-Hopper. 

199.  Bovine  Tuberculosis. 


No.    201. 

202. 

203. 

204. 

205. 

206. 

207. 

208. 
209. 
210. 

211. 

212. 
213. 
214. 
215. 

216. 


217. 
218. 
219. 

220. 

222. 
223. 
224. 

225. 

226. 
227. 
230. 
232. 
233. 


234. 
235. 
236. 

237. 


Commercial  Fertilizers.  (June, 
1908.) 

Commercial  Fertilizers.  (De- 
cember,   1908.) 

Report  of  the  Plant  Pathologist 
to  July  1,    1909.) 

The  Dairy  Cow's  Record  and 
the    Stable. 

Commercial  Fertilizers.  (De- 
cember,   1909.) 

Commercial  Fertilizers.  (June, 
1910.) 

The  Control  of  the  Argentine 
Ant. 

The  Late  Blight  of  Celery. 

The   Cream   Supply. 

Imperial  Valley  Settlers'  Crop 
Manual. 

How  to  Increase  the  Yield  of 
Wheat   in   California. 

California    White    Wheats. 

The    Principles   of   Wine-making. 

Citrus  Fruit  Insects. 

The  Housefly  in  its  Relation  to 
Public    Health. 

A  Progress  Report  upon  Soil 
and  Climatic  Factors  Influenc- 
ing the  Composition  of  Wheat. 

Honey    Plants   of    California. 

California   Plant   Diseases. 

Report  of  Live  Stock  Conditions 
in  Imperial  County,  California. 

Fumigation  Studies  No.  5 ;  Dos- 
age  Tables. 

The  Red  or  Orange  Scale. 

The  Black   Scale. 

The  Production  of  the  Lima 
Bean. 

Tolerance  of  Eucalyptus  for 
Alkali. 

The  Purple   Scale. 

Grape  Vinegar. 

Enological   Investigations. 

Commercial   Fertilizers. 

Three  Years'  Work  of  the  Fern- 
dale  (Humboldt  County)  Cow 
Testing  Association. 

Red  Spiders  and  Mites  of  Citrus 
Trees. 

Further  Proof  of  the  Cause  and 
Infectiousness    of    Crown    Gall. 

The  Economic  Value  of  the 
Western  Meadowlark  in  Cali- 
fornia. 

Pork  Production  under  Califor- 
nia Conditions. 


CIRCULARS 


No. 


1. 

9. 
29. 


46. 
52. 

55. 

60. 
61. 
62. 

63. 

65. 
66. 
67. 

68. 
69. 

70. 

74. 
75. 
76. 


Texas  Fever. 

Asparagus  Rust. 

Preliminary  Announcement  Con- 
cerning Instruction  in  Prac- 
tical Agriculture  upon  the  Uni- 
versity Farm,  Davis,  Cal. 

Suggestions  for  Garden  Work  in 
California    Schools. 

Information  for  Students  Con- 
cerning the  College  of  Agricul 
ture. 

Farmers'  Institute  and  Univer- 
sity   Extension    in    Agriculture. 

Butter  Scoring  Contest,  1910. 

University  Farm   School. 

The  School  Garden  in  the  Course 
of   Study. 

How  to  Make  an  Observation 
Hive. 

The  California  Insecticide  Law. 

Insecticides  and  Insect  Control. 

Development  of  Secondary  School 
of    Agriculture    in    California. 

The  Prevention  of  Hog  Cholera. 

The  Extermination  of  Morning- 
Glory. 

Observation  of  the  Status  of  Corn 
Growing   in    California. 

Rice. 

A  New  Leakage  Gauge. 

Hot    Room    Callusing. 

University  Farm   School. 


No.  78.  Announcement  of  Farmers'  Short 
Courses  for  1912. 

List   of   Insecticide   Dealers. 

Boys'    and   Girls'    Clubs. 

Sweet  Pea  Growing  Clubs. 

The  Common  Ground  Squirrels  of 
California. 

Potato  Growing  Clubs. 

Mushrooms  and  Toadstools. 

A  Preliminary  Report  of  a 
Nematode  Observed  on  Citrus 
Roots  and  its  Possible  Relation 
with  the  Mottled  Appearance  of 
Citrus  Trees. 

Olives   in   California. 

Alfalfa. 

Advantages  to  the  Breeder  in 
Testing  his  Pure-bred  Cows  for 
the  Register  of  Merit. 

Hog   Cholera    and   its    Prevention. 

Tuberculosis  in   Cattle   and  Hogs. 

Disinfection  on  the  Farm. 

Infectious  Abortion  and  Sterility 
in   Cows. 

Bean  Growing  Clubs. 

The  Dairyman's  Relation  to  Qual- 
ity. 

Detecting  Dairy  Losses. 

Pork  Production. 

Increasing   Dairy   Profits. 

Plowing  and  Cultivating  Soils  in 
California. 

Hatching  and  Rearing  of  Chicks. 


79. 
80. 
81. 
82. 

83. 
84. 
85. 


86. 


88. 


89. 
90. 
91. 
92. 

93. 
94. 

95. 
96. 
97. 
98. 

99. 


